


Waterproof

by ExoMal



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Fluff, Gen, Lightsaber Training (Star Wars), Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Mentions of Slavery, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-wan teaches anakin Swimming, POV Mace Windu, Padawan Anakin Skywalker, Underwater Lightsaber Training, Young Anakin Skywalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29070729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExoMal/pseuds/ExoMal
Summary: Mace notices Anakin's strange behavior during lightsaber practice.Later he realizes that a child who grew up on a desert planet probably never learned how to swim.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 6
Kudos: 206





	1. Lightsaber practice

Mace looks at the students, everyone diligently moving through the parts of the kata. Since the knighting of his own padawan Deepa, he has assumed a more prominent role in lightsaber training for older initiates.

A suggestion by his own master Yoda. The old master himself is greatly involved in training the younglings and has done so for centuries “Passing on what we have learned we must”. The words are ringing in his head while he lets his eyes wander on the stance and movement of the young force users.

He stops at Anakin Skywalker. He sees how Skywalker shifts his weight from one foot to the other and performs the next sequence of strokes and a backward flip that ends with a block with his eyes closed. He is fully immersed in the force. While he is a padawan to the young Knight Kenobi, the council has agreed that he should train with other initiates of the same age to catch up. And then enroll in the advanced courses for Padawans.

The boy has been in the temple for some time and has shown extraordinary improvement for somebody only training for a year. He is already on the same skill level as the other Initiates, sometimes even surpassing them. And while his own concerns over the boy remain, even he must admit that Skywalker has a natural talent, rarely seen in the temple.  
At least in terms of his physical education. in terms of meditation, he heard the boy struggled. Maybe another sign of the uncertain future that lies ahead of Anakin Skywalker.

Before he can dwell any longer on the subject of Anakin Skywalker, he looks at the doors as they open. Jedi Knight Kit Fisto enters the room and makes his way to the end of the room where Mace stands. Mace feels how the concentration in many of the students falters and notices how some try to glance subtle at the nautolan.

“Resume the kata.” He says into the room while shifting his focus to the newcomer, with a raised eyebrow.

“Master Windu, please excuse my intrusion” The knight exclaims with a big smile that does not particularly speak of remorse for the interruption. But Kit Fisto is a cheerful individual, so the grin is not surprising.

“Of course, how can I help you Knight Fisto?” he responds.

“Since I have to departure today for my mission to Dac that will probably take a few months, we have to reschedule the underwater training for this class.” He had forgotten about that one, Mace muses and strokes his chin. He remembers now looking over the report and assigning the nautolan and his Padawan to that mission.

“That will be no problem, I will look for a new date in the swimming halls and will inform you when you come back.” Fighting underwater is not his strong suit and he found that Fisto is not only unsurprisingly an excellent Swordsman underwater, but also a skilled teacher.

“Underwater? Doesn’t a lightsaber short circuit in the water?” comes a question from the left and both Master and Knight look over to Anakin Skywalker, who is holding his still ignited training saber seemingly forgotten in his right hand.

Before Mace could say anything about concentration and the importance of lightsaber safety the voice of the man next to him speaks up

„Excellent question young Skywalker” -Mace is not surprised that Fisto knows the name of the boy, Skywalker was quite the source of conversation, when he came to the temple, whispers of prophecies and the Chosen one, something Mace himself still doubts - “To use a lightsaber underwater you have to modify it. But the training lightsabers already have a waterproof casing, so you won’t have to worry about that.” He explains.

Mace is fairly sure Skywalker could modify a lightsaber to be waterproof if he would be allowed near a real one. He had already met at least a dozen of his so-called improved droids to his own annoyance. He is clearly gifted in mechanics.

“But how can we fight underwater, if we can’t breathe underwater Master?” Initiate Yara Nu a young girl right next to Skywalker asks with a frown on her face. Most of the students have stopped by now and are more interested in the conservation than in their kata. Mace notices this with dismay.

“You will get a respirator or you have to hold your breath for a bit.” Kit Fisto answers with a smirk, clearly amused by the questions of the students. Not aware that Mace Windu has tried to bring the younglings in a meditative state by letting them practice for the last half an hour in silence.

“You don’t have to worry about that for now.” Intercepts Mace, before the other young students can chime in with their own questions. “In the lessons with Master Fisto will be enough time for all of your questions. Now everyone will do the rest of their kata and then we will start dueling.”  
  
With that, the younglings start again, not with concentration, but with growing anticipation to fight. He had wanted them to go in a duel as calm as possible, but that seems out of question now. Well at least he would be able to see, who would need help to immerse themselves in the force quickly and could implement some quick meditation techniques.  
  
With that in mind, he begins to turn to the Jedi Knight, when he notices that Skywalker is still looking at them with a tilted head. He is about to remind the boy of the kata, as he starts to settle back into the stance. The next sequence of the kata is still technically correct but lacks the finesse of before.  
  
He locks at the nautolan next to him, who is watching first the younglings and then Mace with an amused look on his face. They begin walking out of the training hall together.  
  
Outside of the door, they exchange a few more words of planning. With a quick “May the force be with you” he watches Fisto walk away, before returning to the training room.  
  
With a smile, he notices that a few of the Initiates have already begun to sink deep into the force again.  
And when the time for the duel comes most of his students, perform their newly learned parries and strikes while being connected to the force.

To his surprise Skywalker, who never really struggled to connect to the force, while lightsaber practice struggles the most. His defense is sloppy and slower than usual. His attacks seem weaker and not as precise.  
Mace even has to correct his stance that was near perfect during the kata. 

When he dismisses the class of the younglings, the boy practically flees out of the room

He makes a mental note to speak to Kenobi about his padawan's unusual behavior when he sees the man next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	2. Swimming Lesson

Mace Windu takes a little known short cut from the lake level to the archives.  After an early morning meditation next to the lake, he wants to take a quick trip to the archives to find some books from Harido Kavila  . It is too long ago that he enjoyed the work of the Rodian.  He and Alxa Kress had an intense debate over the meaning of a certain scene in the play, a week ago during a friendly visit for tea  .  Determined to prove his old friend false he decided to spend his time before the council meeting today rereading the scene in question .

The trip takes him to a corridor from which he can oversee one of the swimming pools of the temple. To his surprise he can hear voices coming from below.  The pools are rarely used especially so early in the morning, most Jedi prefer the more natural lake for swimming  . The pool is  mostly  used for lightsaber training for the younglings.

While he walks he looks over the railing and sees the young Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker in the water  .  The young knight is already treading water in the middle of the pool while Skywalker is staying close to the edge both hands gripping onto the side of the pool .

" Maybe  we should first try in the shallower water Anakin." he hears Obi-Wan suggest with a gentle voice, his voice echoes in the empty room.

"No Master I can do it.  I did it last time in the other pool," the young padawan exclaims with a high-pitched voice, still clinging on to the rand of the pool . He reminds Mace of a loth-cat.

"I know, Padawan.  Just  a few laps in the other pool for a warm-up." The young Knight tries to negotiate. Dealing with his new Padawan has made him more composed. That and dealing with Qui-Gong. His death was a great loss to the Jedi order. He and Mace were often at odds in their beliefs and practice.  Still he must admit that he misses how Qui-Gong ideas challenged the order and himself at times, because of his unique view on the force .

The assumption that Anakin Skywalker is the Chosen One the last and  honestly  the most out there one. Sure the boy had an  extremely  high midi-chlorian count and  was talented  , but the Chosen One. Mace is skeptical.  Skywalker's upbringing and connection with his mother made it difficult for him to devote himself  fully  to the way of the Jedi . He is too susceptible to attachments already.

But they agreed to train him in the end, especially with the resurface of the sith on Naboo, it was too dangerous to leave the child without guidance  . While he was technical too old for the Jedi, he was still a child and had time for growth.  If only Mace could make sense of the shatterpoints that he sees when he meditates about that the future, that surrounds the boy . But in the end, he could only trust in the force.

Mace gets taken out of his thoughts when below Skywalker  suddenly  says "If I drown you will save me right?" and pushes himself from the pool wall.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouts alarmed, but the boy was already swimming to him. Mace shakes his head about the padawan's impulsiveness.

While a little clumsy Skywalker managed to keep afloat and when he reaches Obi-Wan he immediately latches on to the young knights arm . Who for a short moment has problems keeping afloat with only three limbs left.

"Good job," he says and Mace can hear the pride in his voice. "But you could try to tread the water yourself you know."

"  I think  you should practice swimming too if you can't even hold yourself and your small Padawan afloat Master," Anakin counters with a small smile on his face .

"Well, my small Padawan you will have to swim back to the edge alone. I'm not gonna tow you there," Obi-Wan replies and Anakin huffs at the remark. Now he uses the Jedi Knight, who  loudly  protests, as the wall to push from and begins swimming back to the ledge.

Obi-Wan begins to follow and reminds him "Try to keep the fingers closed and not spread out, so you push more water away ."

When they get to the ledge Skywalker pushes himself out of the water and sits on the edge. His feet splashing in the water.

"I know I could do it," he says into the room, still a little bit out of breath.

"I never doubted that Anakin." Obi-Wan says  gently  and then adds "a quick break and then you can try to swim to the other end."

"Okay," the boy answers and  immideatly  pushes himself into the water and begins swimming again. 

"We are not in a hurry Anakin," Obi-Wan calls out to him with a shake of his head and begins following him.

"I - have- to - learn - this - before - the - water - lightsaber - class - starts- Master," Skywalker pants out  in between  strokes.

Oh, Mace thinks. He hasn't thought about that. Young Skywalker's determination appears in another light. He should have considered that when planning for the class with Fisto.

The boy grew up on Tatooine. No way to learn to swim on a desert planet.  He thinks about all the other things that Skywalker  probably  had to learn besides the Jedi classes  . Did he know how to write and read?  He was a slave on the desert planet, some slave owners educated their slaves so that they could take on more administrative tasks . But was that the case with Skywalker?

Slavery in the Outer Rims is a shameful part of the republic.  While slavery  was banned  through Republic laws, the further a planet  was located  from the center the less the law was upheld by the authorities  .  The Jedi couldn't do anything without the senate's approval and the senate wasn't interested in the abolishment of slavery in the Outer Rims  .  The relationship with the Hutts and the economic gain was too much for many Senators, that they would turn a blind eye to the crimes happening so far away and often also on Coruscant lower levels  .  He heard that the young Queen of Naboo had requested a session on that topic in the senate, which was  quickly  turned down .

Despite the corruption, Mace believes in the republic and the Jedis part in it. You can't save everyone and that was a lesson every Jedi had to learn. As a Jedi you sometimes have to look at the bigger picture and if the Jedi would act without the support of the senate. They would lose the trust of many worlds in the Jedi and could start a war with the Hutts. They could do more good in the republic when they had the approval of the senate.

Sometimes Mace hates politics, but he releases those feelings in the force. Anger is not solving anything.

With a last look on the Master and Padawan team, Skywalker has begun to try to climb on Obi-Wan again, he begins to walk to the council chambers  . Harido Kavila will have to wait.  He will meditate in the council's room before the meeting starts and will center himself again .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: write a fluffy chapter in which Obi-Wan teaches Anakin how to swim and make Mace express his love for Rodian theatre  
> Also me: write about Mace Windus thoughts on Slavery and the role of the jedi in the Republic and their relationship with the senate.


	3. Underwater Lightsaber Training

A few weeks after Mace observed the young Knight and Padawan in the training halls he was back in the same spot overlooking his class of younglings train in the same pool.

After the introduction to using a lightsaber underwater, the students are deflecting laser bolts underwater. Mace can make out a green shape swimming from one student to another.

Kit Fisto was truly an excellent teacher. Answering every question that the students had thrown at him with patience and never-ending enthusiasm. The children were practically glued to his lips and every move that he had demonstrated. 

_-Why doesn't a lightsaber short-circuit underwater?-_

_A lightsaber needs a bifurcating cyclical-ignition pulse or how you can also call it a waterproof casing to function underwater. The pulse is created by a second kyber crystal in the lightsaber. It hinders the water from getting into the hilt and messing with the mechanics._

_-Wouldn't a lightsaber heat up the water, because it touches the water? I mean the superconductors only work in aeriform environments.-_

_That is true. An excellent question. The pulse also creates a barrier between water and blade. Otherwise, you would make the water boil around your lightsaber._

Occasionally the students would come up to the surface and Kit would let them ask questions and let them explain their struggles.

At other times he would bring the student alone to the surface. Now he is with Skywalker.

Mace is impressed by Skywalkers swimming ability. Had he not seen how the boy had struggled a few weeks ago to swim across the pool he would have never guessed that Skywalker had learned to swim such a short time ago. He is certainly not extraordinary in this skill like so often in others, but Mace is sure he will make a passable lightsaber user underwater with a little bit of practice, for a human.

"It's hard to stay in the same spot underwater." The boy says to Kit Fisto while gripping the edge of the pool with one hand.

"That is a skill you have to practice Anakin." Says the nautolan patiently. "Have you tried to use the force?"

"To hold my breath?" Skywalker questions unsure.

"To hold you in the same space. Also, try to breathe out underwater if you notice that you float to the top."

"Okay." Skywalker still seems unsure about the advice but dives back under the water surface.

He senses somebody walking to him and stopping next to him.

It is Kenobi.

"Hello, Master Windu." He says with a tired smile.

"Knight Kenobi I assume you came to see your padawan train or can I do anything for you?" He asks the Jedi Knight.

"Ah yes I came to observe the training. Anakin was quite excited about his first lesson with Knight Fisto." Obi-Wan explains and scans the water for his padawan.

"He is in the second row on the left. Right next to Knight Gusto." And Obi-Wan nods while looking at the distorted figure in the water.

"He is doing quite well for somebody who just learned how to swim." He says and Obi-Wan turns to him with a raised eyebrow.

"I saw you teaching him a few weeks ago," he explains.

"Yes, he is quite the fast learner." And Mace can hear the pride in his voice simmer through.

"You know can ask for help Obi-Wan," he says and can see the shoulders of the other man tense up.

"I know." And he sounds defensive while crossing his arms.

"This was not meant as a reprimand Obi-Wan." Why were new Jedi Knights always so prideful Mace muses. He was no exception to that rule, but still.

Obi-Wan had turned to the pool again staring at the water. 

At that moment Anakin comes to the surface. He looks up and waves at them, Obi-Wan waves back. His smile is a little tight around the corners.

"It would be good for the boy, to receive additional training from other Jedi in subjects that he is not proficient yet, because of his upbringing."

"I'm his Master." Obi-Wan protests.

"You can't focus on Skywalker's traditional education if you two have too many distractions. Furthermore, it would do the boy good to learn from different people. To integrate him more into the Jedi and I'm not saying you should give up everything." His words make Kenobi turn to the water again. This time he is not really looking at the younglings in the water anymore, but rather staring at the ceiling of the hall.

"I understand Master." He says.

"And you should rest Obi-Wan," Mace says to the Jedi Knight.

"I will." And with that Obi-Wan's eyes are already focusing on his Padawan again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's finished. Thanks for reading. :)
> 
> This is my [Tumblr](https://exomal.tumblr.com/) btw.


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